Senior sports writer for The Age

KURT Tippett's path to Sydney in today's pre-season draft is assured after the AFL informed the Brisbane Lions and Greater Western Sydney that they did not have sufficient room in their salary caps to accommodate Tippett's nominated price and did not allow them to see details of the Tippett contract demands.

The Lions and Giants both had significant room in their total player payments, but were still some distance from the amount for 2013 that would have to be included if they met Tippett's four-year fee, which was to be about $3.55m before Tippett received his 11-match suspension for draft and salary cap offences. If Tippett's 2013 fee has been lowered after his suspension, it remains hefty enough to be beyond the reach of Sydney's competitors.

Under the rules, clubs have to provide the AFL with estimates of what their salary cap will be for the next season. The AFL then tells the clubs if they have room to participate in the pre-season draft (PSD). In this case, the AFL has informed the Lions and Giants that they would not be able fit Tippett into their total player payments (TPP).

Thus, Brisbane and GWS were not permitted to see the four-year arrangement that Tippett has negotiated with the Swans and nominated as his terms. Gold Coast, the other potential suitor, is not pursuing Tippett either.

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The Lions are understood to have had as much as $500,000-$600,000 remaining in the TPP - what is otherwise known as the salary cap - and a further amount of $250-$350,000 in the Additional Services Agreements, the capped payments made to players for promoting sponsors and the club.

But while Brisbane conceivably could have come close to matching Tippett's fee for 2013, perhaps $800,000-900,000 - by combining the two forms of capped payments - Tippett is believed to have set out terms that put all, or nearly all, of his contract in the salary cap. This appears to be a clever tactic of his management and the Swans to ensure he gets to his club of choice.

Tippett and his management were aware of the parameters of what Brisbane could pay and the likely breakdown of salary cap and ASA, having seen an official offer from the Lions when they were among the clubs pitching for him back in October.

The Swans have pushed Tippett into the pre-season, rather than national draft, in the knowledge that it is much harder for rival bidders to find the extra room for such as expensive player after the national draft, when clubs have to put in their estimates. The clubs put in their salary cap estimates on November 29, a week after the national draft.

The Giants were also unwilling to pay Tippett at the rate he will be paid with the Swans, bearing in mind their enviable key forward tandem of Jeremy Cameron and Jonathon Patton, the highly capable youngsters who have been earmarked as the club's answer to Jason Dunstall and Dermott Brereton.

GWS will re-draft ruckman Dean Brogan, who has coaching duties with the club, and select Bret Thornton in today's pre-season draft, which will be immediately followed by the rookie draft.

Pre-season draft selections (11am)

GWS

Western Bulldogs

Port Adelaide

Brisbane Lions

Richmond

Essendon

Carlton

Fremantle

Collingwood

Adelaide

Sydney

GWS

Carlton

Fremantle

Collingwood

Sydney

Sydney

46 comments so far

As a Lions fan, all I can say is good. Tippett is not worth nearly 1 mill a year. Yes he can be a very dominant forward, but he also is very inconsistent and unreliable in front of goal. Plus, if he had somehow fallen to the Lions, he would always be looking for the bigger better deal. Good luck to the Swans. I could see this being a hazard for them in the coming years as Swans players come out of contract and bench march themselves against the money Tippett is getting I personally think they've inherited a bigger headache that its worth, but they seem to have a talent for getting the best out of their players. If they can get the best out of Tippett, they'll be tough to beat next year.

Commenter

Aaron

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

December 11, 2012, 7:12AM

Well Aaron - I guess Brissy would know - Fevola anyone?

Commenter

Johnny

Location

Albury

Date and time

December 11, 2012, 7:50AM

As a Swans fan, I think he is a good addition but I agree maybe too expensive. Key Forwards are scarce and the Swans had to pay overs to make Brisbane, the Gold Coast and GWS go away. That was the market. He was reportedly on $700,000 at Adelaide and they guaranteed another $100,000 in third party deals. There will be no third party deals in Sydney so if you add in the increase in the cap that's just been negotiated then he's not getting a big increase. At worst I think the Swans are paying $200,000 per annum too much and if you split that between your top 10 players, it's not huge or bad for the team. If Nick Davis and the other coaches can get the guy converting better/playing more consistently and he takes the top defender away from Sam Reid, there's a lot of upside, happy fans, happy club, happy team mates.

Commenter

MG

Date and time

December 11, 2012, 8:59AM

For the past two seasons the Swans have had a glaring weakness in the forward line. Even if Tippett only kicks 40 goals, he will fill that hole, and the Swans' squad will be complete. In terms of the cash, the risk is probably no bigger than when they recruited Tony Lockett or Barry Hall.

Commenter

cliffh

Location

Gippsland

Date and time

December 11, 2012, 9:04AM

@Johnny - And your point is that since the Lions made the mistake once they should do it again? Incidentally Tippett and Fev are very different players. My reasons for not wanting Tippett are that he clearly doesn't want to be at Brisbane and he doesn't seem to be the type of player that would stay put for the long hall (obviously). I won't hang Voss for the Fev trade. It seemed like a good idea at the time, and it could have worked. People forget that the Lions were looking very dangerous in 2010 until both Fev and Brown got injured. In hindsight it didn't work out, but that's life.

Commenter

Aaron

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

December 11, 2012, 10:16AM

@MG and cliffh - I can see why Sydney want him, but the cost might be higher than you/they think. If he kicks 40 goals and Reid kicks 45 next year (I think Reid is a special talent, so this is not impossible), what happens next time Reid's contract is up? What about with Rohan back and kicking 30 odd goals? Yes all teams would like to have such problems, but given that the Swans have just won a premiership and are the only team in the comp that can afford Tippett, you don't think people let Eddie McGuire are going to be gunning for a reduction to your salary cap concessions? I know, Eddie whining, what else is new. Who do you think killed the Lions concessions?

Commenter

Aaron

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

December 11, 2012, 10:26AM

So in other words the AFL by not allowing Brisbane or the Giants to view he details of Tippets" "arrangement" with the Swans are actually colluding with him AND the Swans to ensure that the only club he could go to in the draft is the Swans... how is this not considered to be tampering with the draft? In what way is this open and transparent?How can Sydney afford him? because they have an extra 1 Million Dollars to play with - more tampering!!!

Commenter

stephen

Location

geelong

Date and time

December 11, 2012, 7:18AM

Just proves how corrupt the AFL is when it can all remain a secret and it helps to have $1m extra to cheat with

Commenter

hawker of hobart

Date and time

December 11, 2012, 9:00AM

You need to get a bit of a history lesson. Back in the 80s the Swans and Lions top draft picks were all moving back to Melbourne - how fair was that. Any player based in NSW or Queensland has next to no chance of third party deals - how fair is that. The only way to get a level playing field is to get rid of the Cost of Living allowance and include ALL third party deals in the salary cap which is impossible.

Commenter

MG

Date and time

December 11, 2012, 9:37AM

MG, the big difference is that all clubs have top draft picks from interstate but they dont get extra to make sure they stay. Adelaide didnt want Gunston going back to Vic a couple of years ag but hawks were lucky that he did. But Adelaide didnt get extra to keep him.You are correct, what happened before was a history lesson. And it is now history as to the reasons behind it. The draft is littered with kids getting taken away from home and then wanting to go home, but Sydney is the only club with an extra 10% to try and keep them. And besides, Tippett hasnt even gone home so its quite a moot point really.The only point is the playing field should be a level one for all the established teams. Two premierships in 6 years is fair to say they are established.